


Black Sheep

by thepoltergoose1



Category: The Incredibles (2004)
Genre: Cole gets Karen hired by Winston, Cole's a Super who hates her powers, Cole's employeed at DevTeach, Established Karen "Voyd"/Colette Schaffer, Established Relationship, F/F, Karen's a lesbian, Karen's unofficial last name is Visser, Super Squad, also Karen is forgetful but sweet, little lesbians, so is Cole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-29 16:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15077144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepoltergoose1/pseuds/thepoltergoose1
Summary: When Winston Deavor pitched the idea of a "Supers' Rights" group, Colette thought he meant some sort of group that went around at rallies and gave speeches- not an actual group of heroes. Maybe that's why she recommended Karen to join Winston's team. (Or, Karen's girlfriend is also a Super but would rather not be one).OR-Colette is a Super, but doesn't want to be. Karen's also a Super and would give anything to be one. So, Cole tells Winston about her Super girlfriend and gets her onto Winston's "Wannabe" Squad under the pretense that there wouldn't be hero work involved.





	1. Chapter One

If there was one thing Colette Schaffer was good at, it was balance. Cole knew how to balance her life, how to juggle work and home- even if there wasn’t much home to balance, after all Cole didn’t have children or anything. Karen, on the other hand, was the opposite. Karen was horrible at balancing her work life and her home life, which was partially why she’d lost her job at the firm. Karen hadn’t been much there- she’d only worked as a secretary- but Karen had hated it. Cole didn’t blame her. Karen was the type of person who wanted to do good on her own, not take phone calls for people who do good for outrageous amounts of money.   
  
Karen was a Super. Cole had known this for years, and it wasn’t anything Cole was against- because Cole was a Super, too. Being different, gifted with these strange abilities, had brought the two girls together. Cole had accepted her powers as being illegal years ago, back when her father had died, whereas Karen…. Well, Karen had never accepted the fact she’d have to ignore part of herself. Ignoring and hiding her abilities was hard for Karen, and Cole knew that- she would’ve given anything to change things to make Karen happy, but Cole knew she couldn’t… not as some low paid DevTech intern, and it wasn’t as if the twenty-two-year-old could do much anyway. Cole knew politicians could care less about some youngster with superpowers.   
  
These were the things Cole thought about early in the morning. It wasn’t necessarily super early, but early enough that Karen was still asleep next to Cole. Cole pursed her lips, remembering that Karen wasn’t a morning person or an early riser anyway, and the fact Cole had awoken before Karen wasn’t some big feat. Cole sighed softly and rolled over, curling up against Karen’s back. Cole settled her cheek between Karen’s shoulder blades and draped an arm around the taller girl’s waist, focusing now on the gentle rise-and-fall of Karen’s side and the soft snores that escaped Karen’s lips.   
  
At least her snoring doesn’t keep me up. Was the thought that came to Cole’s mind, which was something Cole could appreciate. Cole did, after all, enjoy sleeping nearly as much as Karen. The only thing that really kept Cole awake was her constant financial worrying and the fear that Karen wouldn’t be able to find another job, along with the fear that maybe Cole and Karen would even lose their apartment. Cole subconsciously tightened her grip on Karen, a small wave of anxiety washing over her as she pictured herself and Karen losing the apartment, and felt her partner stir beside her.   
  
“Wassa matter?” Karen mumbled, still half asleep, as she patted the hand Cole had nestled against her abdomen. “Nigh’mares?” Karen’s words were slightly slurred and confused, but it made Cole smile slightly.   
  
“S’all good,” Cole murmured, her voice slightly muffled by Karen’s back, “just thinking, ‘Ren.”   
  
“So ‘s all good? No trouble?” Karen asked sleepily, her eyes still closed. Her breathing was evening out again, so Cole could tell she was about to fall right back asleep.   
  
“It’s all good.” Cole confirmed as Karen’s snoring began once more. Cole propped herself up on her elbow, admiring Karen’s sleeping features. Cole’s smile widened a little as she bent to press a kiss to Karen’s cheek before she rolled out of bed. It was Cole’s turn to make breakfast- to be honest, it was always Cole’s turn to make breakfast; however, Karen usually made dinner. Cole moved to the dresser first so she could get ready for the day, and for work, before she started making breakfast. Cole crept out of the room, careful not to wake Karen back up, and headed down the short hallway to the bathroom. Cole started the water and peeled off her pajamas before stepping inside. The water was warm and pleasant, and although it was supposed to wake Cole up the water was really just making her sleepier. Cole quickly washed her long, auburn hair before she stepped out to brush her hair and get dressed. 

 

After that, Cole pulled her still wet hair back into a bun and headed into the kitchen- which was, subsequently, also connected to the dining and living room. Cole moved toward the living room balcony first so she could tie the curtains back to view the morning sunrise. Cole stared at the scene for a moment, taking it all in, before she finally headed to the kitchen to rummage through the fridge. Cole wasn’t really surprised to see next to nothing in the fridge aside from a half empty carton of milk, an egg carton that held three eggs, and a half-eaten piece of cake. Given her limited options, Cole decided she’d make the eggs for Karen. Besides, if she got there early enough Cole could probably just eat whatever was leftover in the lounge at DevTech. Cole opened one of the cabinets and pulled out one of the pans, which she set on the stove before she turned on the burner and broke the eggs into the pan. Once that was done, Cole moved to the coffee maker to make something strong enough to keep her awake for the rest of the day- and something to hopefully wake Karen up.   
  
Not five minutes later it seemed, Cole could hear Karen’s footsteps in the hallway. Cole glanced behind her to see Karen, slightly hunched over, enter the room. Karen rubbed tiredly at her eyes, yawning as she did so, and headed toward Cole. Cole focused her attention back to the eggs when she felt Karen’s arms twine around her waist and when she felt Karen’s chin dig slightly into her shoulder. The silence shared between the two girls was peaceful, something Cole wished she would never have to leave- even though Cole knew she couldn’t stay wrapped in Karen’s embrace forever.   
  
“Good morning.” Karen’s breath tickled Cole’s skin as she moved to kiss Cole’s ear, her arms tightening affectionately around Cole for a moment. “Sleep well?”   
  
“Sleep? I don’t know her.” Cole scoffed teasingly, grinning as she leaned back against Karen. “You know I don’t sleep well. Besides, I expected you'd sleep in a little longer."   
  
“Oh yeah?” Karen asked, quirking an eyebrow. “You sleep just fine when I’m around.”   
  
“Yeah, well, that’s… uh...” Cole fumbled for the right words.   
  
“Different? No, it’s not you big ole softie.” Karen laughed softly. “You’re just trying to act tough.”   
  
“To impress who, huh?” Cole laughed playfully, dumping the scrambled eggs onto a paper plate.   
  
“Me.” Karen stated, grinning softly.   
  
“We’re already dating.” Cole stated simply as she twisted in Karen’s arms, offering her the plate. “I don’t need to impress you. Besides, you’re the impressive one.” Karen smiled proudly at Cole’s words, tilting her head.   
  
“You really think so?”   
  
“I know so.” Cole stated confidently, smiling at Karen. “I mean, we're both pretty impressive. Right?”    
  
“Right.” Karen nodded, kissing Cole's nose. “We're both amazing. I mean, we're both Supers- so, there's that. That's something, right?”

 

“It's something.” Cole agreed with a hesitant nod.  _ Supers  _ were a touchy subject, and Cole knew how people viewed them. “But.. it's not like being Supers give us many special options, babe. I wish it did, but… it doesn't.”

 

Karen frowned at Cole's words- despite the fact she knew Cole was right, although Karen would never admit that to Cole's face. Besides, Cole would never admit if Karen was right either, so it didn't matter. “Things could change someday.” Karen stated hopefully. “And then.. then we can be ourselves.” 

 

Cole's gaze softened slightly, “Karen.. your superpowers are part of you, and they help shape you… but you shouldn't base your life and personality around them, especially when you're so much more than your powers.” 

 

“I don't base my life on-” Karen began defensively, although she didn't really know where she was going with the sentence. “I.. at least I don't ignore my powers!” 

 

“I don't ignore them.” Cole said simply, and though she understood why Karen was upset by this- it hurt a little to think Karen would accuse Cole of ignoring part of herself. “It's just.. my powers are different than yours, they're a little more.. unpredictable. More violent.. I don't want anyone getting hurt again.”

 

“You didn't hurt anyone last time, everything was under control.” Karen interjected, setting her plate on the counter so she could fold her arms over her chest. “You don't need to be scared of who you are.”

 

“I'm not scared.” Cole muttered as she ducked by Karen, frowning. “And everything was not under control, I could've killed you.” As if on cue, a small spark flickered between Cole’s index and middle fingers. Karen wasn't sure if it was fire or electricity, but either way it was some form of energy.

 

“But you didn't!” Karen smiled, setting a hand on Cole’s shoulder. Cole froze beneath Karen's touch, she even tensed slightly. “I'm here, and I'm alright. No one got hurt.” Karen pulled Cole into her arms again, allowing the silence to wash over them once more. “Well, I mean.. I  _ did _ get hurt, but it wasn't anything serious… aaaand that's probably not helping, is it?” 

 

“No. It's not.” Cole agreed as she shook her head. “But I know being Super is important to you, and I wish I could do something about that. I wish you had the opportunity to embrace your powers.” Cole wrapped her arms around Karen, sighing softly as she rested against her. 

 

“Being Super  _ is _ important to me.” Karen murmured. “But you're also important to me, you know? I'll get to looking for another job today, I know we need the money.”

 

Cole offered Karen a smile and leaned up to kiss her. “Thank you… I know this isn't what you'd like to be doing, but.. you know. I appreciate it and hey, maybe you're right- maybe things will change.” 

 

“Did you just say I'm right?” Karen grinned. 

 

“Aha, no. I said  _ maybe  _ you're right.” Cole grinned and hugged Karen one last time. “I'll talk to you later tonight, alright? You're making dinner?” 

 

“You know it.” Karen didn't hesitate to hug Cole back. “Maybe I'll stop by during your break if there's time.” Cole smiled softly and patted Karen's cheek as she admired Karen for a few more moments. Then she kissed Karen once more before she backed away. 

 

“I'll be off, then. Have a great day, alright?” Cole asked as she headed down the hall to grab her bag and her designs. 

 

“I will, babe, you too! I love you,” Karen smiled and watched Cole stop at the door. She turned back to Karen and smiled, offering a nod. 

 

“I love you too.” Cole responded before she darted out the door.

 

* * *

 

 

Cole darted through the hall toward DevTech’s elevator. She clutched her belongings in her arms as she ran, careful not to drop them, and slid into the elevator just as the doors had begun to close. Cole slumped against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. Unfortunately, the subway had been running late that morning and now Cole, too, was running late. It seemed as though Cole was always late, even though Cole  _ hated  _ it. Being late gave Cole anxiety, something highschool had given her- something that had carried over into Cole's early twenties, and something Cole didn't doubt would affect her for the rest of her life. 

 

“Shit.” Cole muttered, shaking her head. It wasn't like Evelyn or Winston would be angry, especially since Evelyn was late almost everyday herself… but Evelyn was also Cole's boss, and Cole was just an employee. Cole frantically pressed the button of the floor she was supposed to go to before she leaned back against the wall once more. In her arms Cole held a number of envelopes and papers- mostly legal work, papers containing information for some  _ clients  _ Evelyn had mentioned (the clients were Winston's project), and some company memos. It wasn't necessarily important work, but it was work, and Cole needed money.

 

The elevator opened its doors after what seemed like an eternity and allowed Cole to slip passed the doors once more. It wasn't long before Cole headed down the long, well-lighted hallway to Winston's office (although  _ office  _ was an understatement). Cole pushed open the doors, careful not to drop the papers she was carrying, and headed toward Winston's desk. 

 

“Mr. Deavor, I'm so sorry I'm late!” Cole called hurriedly as she headed toward him.

 

“No need to be sorry!” Winston Deavor replied cheerily as he turned from the window to look at Cole. “Good morning, Miss Schaffer. Are those the papers I asked for?”

 

“Yes, yes they are.” Cole exhaled as she set the stack on Winston's desk. “Can I ask why you need all this…  _ personal  _ information?” 

 

“Well, can I ask you about your stance on Supers?” Winston asked, clasping his hands together. Cole frowned slightly, confused, and offered a weary nod. 

“What of them?” Cole asked hesitantly, squinting at Winston. 

 

“What's your position on them? On Supers’ Rights?” Winston pressed, watching Cole carefully. “Are you for, or against them?” 

 

“Well,” Cole nibbled on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully, “I mean, they're just people with lives and desires. They just want to help, to do good. But I can understand why people would be afraid. People don't like different.” 

 

Winston considered this thoughtfully, his forehead creasing slightly as he pondered Cole's words. “That's a good stance, Miss Schaffer. Now, can you keep a secret?” 

 

“I like to think I can, Mr. Deavor.” 

 

“I'm putting together a special...” Winston paused, choosing his words carefully. “A special project. It's more or less a Supers’ Rights advocate group. Are you following me, Miss Schaffer?” 

 

“Yes.” Cole offered Mr. Deavor a nod, tilting her head. “You're forming a Civil Rights group of sorts. Right? To help Supers?” 

 

“Precisely.” Winston smiled and pointed at Cole. “I'm looking for underground Supers to join. These Supers, or, ah.. suspected Supers, could help us push Supers’ Rights in a favorable direction. It's a paid position, they'd be.. ah.. working to help us further our understanding of Supers and whatnot. But thank you, really, for gathering their contact information. You really are one of our best interns, you know.” 

 

“Of course, Mr. Deavor.” Cole nodded. “Thank you. Do you need anything else before I head to my desk?” 

 

“Not that I can think of, but if anything comes up I'll let you know.” Winston told her, nodding. Cole nodded back and turned on her heel. She pursed her lips in thought before she turned around. 

 

“Mr. Deavor? I know someone who really belongs on that contact list of yours.” 

* * *

 

Karen leaned back against the couch, her knuckles pressed against her cheek boredly as she watched the TV. She was supposed to be working on her resume, but her mind was wandering a little. Karen didn't want to end up in a dead end job, she didn't want to be in an office. Karen wanted to help others, she wanted to be a  _ hero. _ Karen knew it would probably never happen, she knew Supers were illegal… But she couldn't help but wonder what life would be like if she could be herself for once. 

 

It wasn't like Karen  _ wasn't _ happy. She was. Karen was happy with her life, she was happy with Cole. But Karen wanted more than mediocrity, even if Cole didn't. Karen understood that Cole was afraid of losing control of her powers again, especially after what had happened to Cole's father (although Cole's father hadn't died due to his powers) and after the  _ incident. _ Cole didn't like talking about it, and neither did Karen, but it was… well, it was something. 

 

Karen bit her lip as she remembered what had happened to their last apartment. There had been a break-in, except the burglars hadn't been  _ normal _ people. They had been Supers, and they weren't the good kind. Cole and Karen were equally inexperienced with their powers, and while Karen had managed to keep their bullets away somewhat with her voids; Cole had accidentally set the entire house on fire. It wasn't like Cole had meant to do it, it had been an accident- albet an expensive one- and really she'd meant to use a different variation of her powers. 

 

Cole was an Omnikinetic. It was a term that wasn't widely known, but from what Cole had explained Karen gathered that  _ omnikinesis  _ was just a very, very developed and advanced form of telekinesis. Basically, Cole's powers affected nearly  _ everything _ . It was powerful, terrifying, but also.. attractive. But still, Cole didn't like her powers- and she didn't use them. But Karen loved her powers, she embraced them. They were part of her. 

 

In truth, Karen liked that her powers gave her something else to be different with. Being gay- being a lesbian- wasn't necessarily accepted, just like being Super. Karen was proud of both aspects of herself- she was proud to be different, although sometimes she was rather shy and a little embarrassed. But still, she was proud. 

 

Karen's head jerked toward the phone when it began to ring, a small frown materializing on her face as she got up to answer it. The phone didn't ring often aside from when Scott, Cole's.. ah..  _ other  _ father called or when Karen's parents called. Karen picked up the receiver and brought it to her ear. 

 

“Hello?” 

 

“Miss Visser? This is Winston Deavor.” Instantly, Karen thought of Cole. 

 

“I, uh.. is my roommate alright?” Karen asked. “I mean.. she's the only reason you'd be calling. Cole? Cole Schaffer? Is she okay?” 

 

There was a soft chuckle on the other end of the line. “No need to worry, Miss Visser. Miss Schaffer is perfectly fine. In fact, she just recommended me to you. You possess, ah.. certain  _ abilities _ correct?” 

 

“I.. what?” Karen frowned. It took her a moment, but then Karen realized Mr. Deavor was referring to Karen's superpowers. “Oh! Ah.. what has Cole told you?” 

 

“Only what I need to know, Miss Visser. Let's say I have, ah.. a potential job offering for you. One that requires you utilizing your talents?” 

 

“You mean.. as a hero?” 

 

“Precisely, Miss Visser. I'm assembling a team of sorts, a team of.. well, let's call them  _ Wannabes. _ People like you.” 

 

“You.. really want me..?” Karen frowned. “You want me in your team?” 

 

“But of course. Shall we schedule an interview for, ah.. let's say 5 o’clock this Wednesday?” Wednesday. Karen frowned, thinking to herself. There wasn't anything going on on Wednesday, was there? Oh well, it was probably fine.

 

“I.. yes! I'm in. I'll be there.” The enthusiasm began to fill Karen's voice.

 

“Good choice, Miss Visser. I'm sure you'll be perfectly well-suited for the team.”

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a slow, fluffy chapter before we start diving into the actual action and whatnot. Enjoy!

“Hey, babe!” Cole hummed as she walked in the door. When she didn’t receive an answer, Cole frowned and headed to the living room. “Karen? Babe?” Cole frowned, and froze at the sight she saw. Karen sat on the couch, grinning widely, with dinner set up neatly on the coffee table. Cole quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side as she studied her girlfriend.

“Hi, sweetheart!” Karen beamed, clasping her hands in her lap. “Did you have a good day? I, uh, got groceries and made dinner!” Karen rose from her spot and went to greet Cole. Karen wrapped her arms around Cole and kissed her, gently swaying her back and forth. Cole couldn’t help but smile or return Karen’s kiss as she wrapped her own arms around Karen’s neck.

“I take it you got an interview for Winston’s project, huh?” Cole grinned. “You’re welcome for that, too. I.. it reminded me of what we talked about this morning. So, I thought I'd help you out.”

“Well, I really appreciate it.” Karen smiled warmly at Cole, her thumbs gently massaging Cole's shoulders. Cole peeked behind Karen, leaning up on her tiptoes for a moment to peer at the dinner. 

“This is really,  _ really _ nice babe.” Cole murmured. “You didn't have to.” And really, it was nice. Beyond nice, too. Karen had managed to find one of the nicer tablecloths they'd been given by Karen's parents. Karen had also lit a couple candles and had scattered a couple sunflower petals- they only grew sunflowers on their balcony- on the table cloth. 

“I didn't.” Karen admitted. “But I wanted to. This  _ really  _ means a lot to me, Colette.”

“Cole.” Cole corrected, grinning. “You know I like being called Cole more than my full name.” 

“I know.” Karen chuckled. “But Colette is still a good name. Plus it's your name, and I love you and your name.” Karen grinned and cupped Cole’s face in her hands, kissing her again. 

“I love you too, Karen,” Cole mumbled against Karen's lips. “C’mon, let's not let the dinner get cold.” Cole broke away and took Karen's hand, leading her back to their couch, chair, and coffee table. Karen pulled Cole back into another hug, still grinning like an idiot, before she sat on the couch across from her girlfriend. 

“I got really lucky with you, y’know?” Karen squeaked out. She wasn't always the best with words, but Cole loved Karen and her weird way of speaking anyway. 

“I know.” Cole teased. “But hey, I got pretty lucky too. I mean, I  _ am  _ dating a blue-haired queen who really knows how to cook.” Karen blushed slightly and cast her eyes away for a slight moment.

“Still, I… I really can't thank you enough for this, Cole. Really. I don't even know what to say, how to repay you-”

“You don't need to repay me.” Cole chuckled. “We've been together how long, Karen? Five, six years? I did it because I love you.. because being Super makes you happy, and you being happy makes me happy. But,” She grinned, “if you  _ really  _ wanna make it up to me you can be the big spoon tonight.” 

“That's easy enough.” Karen chuckled softly. “Big spoon it is. Anything else?” 

“Well, if this all goes well,” Cole said as she began cutting into her chicken, “we should get a puppy. Or a kitten. Or both. Definitely both.” 

“Okay, okay.” Karen chuckled and began to mimic Cole's actions. “We can get pets, too.” 

“Oh, sorry. Lemme reword that.” Cole grinned. “We  _ are  _ getting a puppy and a kitten.” But she smiled and winked at Karen before she grinned down at her food and took a bite. “So, when's your interview?” 

“Wednesday. Five o'clock.” Karen informed Cole with a slight nod. “That works, right?” Cole nodded in confirmation. 

“Yeah. That'll work. But my dad and my siblings wanna come over for dinner on Friday,” Cole told Karen. “Dad's, ah.. well, he misses Papa. And I haven't seen Bonnie, David, Mike, and Lisa in forever.” Cole frowned. She'd been the youngest of the Schaffer family, and the closest to her Papa- Sean Schaffer, aka Thunderhead. Scott, Sean's boyfriend, had helped raise Cole and her adoptive siblings… but things had gotten a little rough after Sean died. 

“It's been, like, a year or two since they've visited.” Karen agreed. “It'll be nice seeing them again.” Karen couldn't always relate to Cole's familial struggles, mostly because Karen had been raised by her biological parents and neither of them were dead.. plus, Karen's parents lived about twenty minutes away. Both David and Bonnie lived out of state whereas Lisa lived about four or five hours away. Mike just lived in Municiberg, but he didn't talk much to Cole. 

“Yeah, it'll be nice.” Cole agreed. “They were asking about you, you know.” Karen paused mid-bite, blinking.

“They, uh… they did?” Karen asked. “What'd they ask?” 

Cole shrugged, “Just if you'd be there and how you were doing.. also if you would refrain from spilling your drink on Lisa's pants.” Cole grinned at the last time, although Karen was pouting. 

“It happened  _ once.  _ We were, like, nineteen!” Karen sighed, exasperated. “I just.. you were wearing such a nice dress and.. and I'd never seen you wear one before!” 

“Babe,” Cole grinned, “I wore one on our first date.. when we were sixteen?” Karen's cheeks reddened again as she pursed her lips and set her fork down. 

“Okay, okay. Fine. But,” She pointed at Cole and smiled, “it was a nice dress and still your fault, babe.” Cole rolled her eyes, despite the smile on her face, and looked back down at her food. 

“Alright, fine. It was my fault due to my sheer beauty. But it's a family joke, Ren, they love you.” Cole chuckled. “I'm pretty sure Dad likes you way more than David’s wife, and she's been in the family for like… ten years!” David was the oldest, he was eight years older than Cole. Bonnie and Lisa were the same age and were two years younger than David. Mike was four years younger than David.

“Well,” Karen chuckled, “I'm flattered. But hey, Tina isn't that bad. She talks a lot, sure, and thinks she's better than us but..” Karen sighed. “Alright, I don't have any compliments for her.”

Cole chuckled, “It's okay. She may not be that great, but David loves her. She makes David happy, in her own weird way.” Cole shrugged. After they finished their dinner, Karen leaned back against the couch and paused. 

“This was good, right?” Karen asked. “I did a good job?” 

“Do you even have to ask?” Cole quirked an eyebrow. “Karen, babe, you did amazing! I didn't know you were a romantic.” She smiled and stood up, gesturing toward the radio on the kitchen counter. The dial turned on its own- although Karen knew Cole was using her powers to turn it on- as Cole offered Karen her other hand. 

“What're you doing?” Karen asked, curious, though she took Cole’s hand nonetheless. 

“Dancing.” Cole murmured as she set her other hand on Karen's shoulder. Karen, in turn, set her free hand on Cole's hip and closed the remaining distance between them. The room was filled with the sound of melodic jazz as Cole rested her head against Karen's chest and sighed contentedly. “Wish I could've gone to a dance with you, you know?”

“Yeah,” Karen murmured quietly, resting her chin on top of Cole's head, “I know. That would've been nice. But hey, we've got a whole living room to turn into a dance floor.” Cole smiled again, though she didn't say anything. There wasn't really anything to be said, and Cole didn't want to ruin the moment. It wasn't like Cole and Karen's relationship was romantic like  _ this  _ all the time, they still got onto each other's nerves and argued like any other couple would. Besides, oftentimes Cole worked late nights-  _ very  _ late nights- filing the Deavors’ paperwork and whatever else they needed. Plus, with their financial issues they hadn't been able to go out much as of late. But still, all of this didn't change the fact that Cole loved Karen- or that Karen loved Cole.

After about twenty minutes or so, Cole leaned back for a moment to admire Karen. Cole released her hold on Karen's shoulder to brush her fingers against the taller girl's cheek, watching her closely as they swayed back and forth to the music. Karen smiled at Cole, gently leaning into Cole's touch, as Cole leaned up onto her tiptoes and kissed Karen. Karen wrapped her arms around Cole's waist as Cole cupped Karen's face in her hands. 

“I love you.” Karen murmured against Cole's lips, although she flinched when Cole's teeth grazed her own lower lip. 

“You can top if you carry me to our room,” Cole offered, “plus ten bucks if you can  _ actually _ carry me.” She grinned. 

“You're on.” Karen grinned as she lifted Cole up, although she immediately regretted it. Cole wasn't a large girl, but she was pretty solidly built and Karen- despite being strong herself- had been too excited to prepare for Cole's weight in her arms.

“Hey!” Cole cried out when Karen ran her directly into the wall, flinching slightly. Still, Cole couldn't help but laugh and try to kiss Karen again, though in doing so she caused Karen to drop her. Cole hit the ground with a loud  _ thump _ , but she laughed harder than Karen had heard her laugh in a long time. This caused Karen to laugh and grab Cole's hand to pull her up. 

“I'm sorry!” Karen laughed, a hand on her chest as she laughed with her partner. “I didn't meant to do that, I promise!” But Cole only continued to laugh as she kissed Karen again. 

“Well, looks like I can keep my money huh?” Cole teased as she gently squeezed Karen's hand. “But hey, you're still a bottom Karen.” Cole laughed as she pulled Karen into their room.

* * *

 

Karen woke to Cole curled in her arms, still asleep for once. Karen usually slept much longer than Cole, but Karen was too excited to sleep really. Karen had wanted to be a superhero throughout the entirety of her life, and when she learned Supers had been banned.. well, it had crushed Karen. But now.. now Karen had a chance to help change the world for Supers, to help them come out of hiding.  Karen glanced at Cole and frowned slightly. Karen didn't understand why Cole, who'd been born with tremendous power, didn't want to use her abilities to help better the world too. Sure, Karen had been hurt during the  _ incident _ , but it wasn't totally Cole's fault. Cole had only freaked out and burned the place down because those burglars had broken Karen's wrist and also, subsequently, rendered Karen unconscious. Cole had lost it, or something like that.. Karen hadn't been awake for it obviously. Karen couldn't complain, though. Cole wanted Karen to be able to use her powers, she wanted Karen to have the opportunity to be a hero.. even if Cole didn't want to be one. 

_ You're the hero type,  _ Cole had always said,  _ I'm not. I like to be behind the scenes.  _ And that might've been so, but part of Karen wanted to be able to fight crime and bad guys with the girl she loved. Karen pursed her lips and lost herself to her thoughts for a while longer, or at least until Cole jolted awake; frightening Karen and causing her to jump, too. 

“Jesus, Cole!” Karen blinked, alarmed. “Are.. are you okay?” Cole, who was sitting straight up by then, was rubbing at her eyes. Although she appeared visibly shaken, she seemed fine. 

“It's fine, I'm fine.” Cole shook her head, as if shaking off whatever had happened to her, and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “I.. it was a nightmare this time. Sorry, babe, I didn't mean to wake you-” 

“You didn't wake me.” Karen said softly as she ran her fingers through Cole's hair. “But.. a nightmare? I thought they'd stopped, babe.” 

“Yeah, well, they  _ did _ .” Cole muttered. “I just… it was so weird, Ren..” She shook her head. “I mean, you were there.. so were these people, and we were all on a boat.. but.. it's fine, I'm fine. Let's just go back to sleep, alright?” Cole yawned and lay back down, frowning softly. Karen, despite still being concerned, lay back down beside Cole and pulled her close. 

“Did something… happen? In the dream, I mean..” Karen asked softly. 

“It's okay, babe.” Cole murmured. “Nothing happened.. it's okay.. I'll be okay..” Cole squeezed her eyes shut again. “It was just a stupid dream..”


End file.
